


Evil ways

by Caliborth



Category: Princess Bride (1987)
Genre: AU where Count Tyrone Rugen lives, Canon Continuation, M/M, OC, Original Character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 22:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17292212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caliborth/pseuds/Caliborth
Summary: Count Tyrone Rugen lives after his fight with Inigo and finds he might have a heart after all. Then again, he might not.





	Evil ways

The dagger pierced through the room to lodge itself in the man's stomach. The violence of the blow staggered him, and he found himself his back to the wall, struggling to keep standing. His eyes seemed to rapidly lose life. « Sorry, father. I tried... I tried. »  
Rugen recognized the accent, which he couldn't seem to place before. He took small, cautious steps towards the man to see his face better.

« You must be that little Spanish brat I taught a lesson to, all these years ago. Simply incredible. You've been chasing me your whole life, only to fail now? I think that's the worst thing I've ever heard. How marvellous. »

The man, obviously in pain, slided down the wall. He still had the scars given to him when his father died, his face growing more familiar now. Rugen pondered for a short moment whether he should kill him now, watch him agonize there, or have him taken to the pit of despair. Gasping, the man seized the dagger and pulled it out. He slowly gathered his strenght to stand up, aiding himself of the wall as support.  
Rugen looked at him incredulously.

« Good heavens. Are you still trying to win ? »

The man fell back. This was laughable, really.

« You've got an overdevelopped sense of vengeance. It's going to get you into trouble someday. »

Rugen approached him, dragging his sword out of his scabbard. He thrusted to pierce the heart, but the man still had the sword in firm hand, and deviated the blow, which only got to his shoulder.  
Two other thrusts reached the same conclusion as the man parried with a surprising vigor. Moderately cautious until now, Rugen now grew increasingly worried. He watched the man stand up again, defying him with his sword, advancing forwards. Their eyes locked.

« Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. »

Montoya staggered and hit the table. Seeing his weakness, Rugen raised his sword and hit, multiple times, but each time he was parried, and Montoya seemed to regain strenght by the second ; he repeated the short phrase again, piercing Rugen of his stare as he intended to do with his blade.

« Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. »

Bloodied and not so stable on his feet, Montoya kept advancing, his sword raised, a smile to his lips. He seemed... Happy. Rugen found it both stupid and dreadful. Stupid to smile, in the event that he might die after failing his father ; dreadful, in the event that he might live through to avenge him with that strange confidence of his. He had to finish this quickly.

But hit as he might, none of his hits got to the man, who kept repeating, with increased intensity, his name, the crime committed. « Prepare to die ! »

« Stop saying that ! » shouted Rugen, and groaned in pain as Montoya's sword pierced him by two times.

« Hello ! My name is Inigo Montoya ! » the man screamed again, seemingly not at all out of breath from both speaking and fencing ; Rugen could barely parry all of his moves, couldn't stand his ground and found himself back to a table. « You killed my father ! Prepare to die !  
_ No !   
_ Offer me money. »

His hands trembled, yet he didn't hesitate to answer.

« Yes. »

Anything to get the fool off his back.  
Montoya's sword slashed his cheeks, mirroring the same scars he had from Rugen. Pain flickered.

« Power too. Promise me that.   
_ All that I have and more. Please. »

The blood slided down his face, but he barely felt it.  
Montoya smiled.

« Offer me everything I ask for.  
_ Anything you want. »

Rugen struck once again, but Montoya grabbed his hand, effortlessly.

« I want my father back, you son of a bitch. »

Rugen felt a sudden pain in the stomach ; soon it all went dark. He barely felt his body hit the ground when he fell. He barely heard the steps as Montoya hurried out of the room.

Rugen's breathing seemed to have stopped. His eyes were wide open, yet he saw nothing. All he felt now was the cold envelopping him slowly, soon to reach his heart. The fear he felt before left place to some kind of void. Even his thoughts stopped. He didn't register the footsteps he heard, didn't hear the shouting above him. He didn't feel himself being lifted up and carried.

Had he seen the scene from an external point of view, he might have laughed at the sight. He was dead, all of that was useless. Although he himself had to know that even if you're mostly dead, all that means is that you're still slightly alive.

 ***

Count Tyrone Rugen awoke to the sound of slight, steady breathing. He opened his eyes cautiously and found a very dimly lit room. He was in a bed, and now very much alive. He didn't feel cold anymore. Another thing he registered was the throbbing pain in his stomach and shoulders, and a more numb pain all over his body. He had apparently survived. That was worth a smile.

« Sir, you're awake ! »

A young, masculine voice to his right. He turned his head, and his sight fell upon a young soldier pertaining to the castle militia. He recognized the man, but couldn't place a name on him ; just an underling serving for commander Yellin. Nothing of importance to Rugen.

« Huh. So it seems. How long have I been... Asleep?  
_ About a week, sir. Prince Humperdinck has been preparing for the war against the Guilder. And uh, the Dread Pirate Roberts ran away with the bride. There are no news. The Prince put up a bounty on his head, but he didn't form a search party.  
_ Very well, uh...   
_ Sir ?  
_ I believe it is common courtesy to introduce yourself.  
_ Oh, of course sir, my apologies. My name is Viago, lieutenant under commander Yellin's command.   
_ Very well. Do not just sit here. Be so kind as to fetch whoever has been caring for my health.  
_ Yes, sir. »

The young man got up and left the room.

Rugen lifted an arm and found it caused him considerable pain. His arm felt very heavy. He meant to get up by all means. As he was trying to pull himself up, the door opened and a short man entered.

« Count, no ! You must keep the bed. You're in no shape to walk around. »

Rugen let himself down.

« Has the prince been informed of my recovery ?  
_ He will be shortly.   
_ Why am I in such pain ? I've been wounded in battle before.  
_ You've been administered a very strong medicine to help with your healing. You're coming back from far away, you know. The pain is sign of healing.  
_ Interesting. How long will it be until I get to walk again ?  
_ You'll walk soon enough, count, be sure of it. But don't worry about this now. You must be starving. Servants are cooking something for you. Well, you have a good look upon your face, you're very much better, that's wonderful news. »

The man hurriedly left the room.

« Now hold on... And he left. Okay. »

Rugen leaned back his head upon the pillow. Dark caught his eyes again, and he fell back into a deep, dreamless sleep. After what seemed to him less than thirty seconds, he was awoken again by the sound of the door opening. The soldier guy was here again, what was his name already ? Viago, right. He was carrying a tray, which he cautiously lowered onto the Count.

There was food and a glass of water. Rugen realized as he saw it that he was parched, and immediately reached for it.

« So kind of you.   
_ Sir, the medic said it will be some time before you get to leave the bed. Shall I fetch something for you ? Maybe a book, to pass the time.  
_ Certainly. But my books are safely kept in the Pit of Despair. Get my assistant to bring my papers too, so that I might get some work done while I am here. He will know what to fetch.  
_ Yes, sir. I will go right away, if you would like.  
_ Uh, Viago. Do you by any chance know what happened ?  
_ What happened, sir ?  
_ I thought I would die for sure. Every man was outside to stand watch. »

He didn't add, and what a splendid work they did, now, didn't they. But he thought it very loud.

« Sir, I was among the soliders left inside to guard for the marriage. Once it was over, I found some of my comrades lying unconscious in the hallways, so I went to look for whoever had broken in. That is when I stepped inside the reception room and found you injured. »

Rugen frowned; so, he owed his life to this underling. Just wonderful. The solider had a puzzled look on his face.

« Sir... Please excuse my curiosity. May I know what happened ? Surely you must have caught the intruders, and they have defeated you ?  
_ … Yes, that is what happened.  
_ You must have fought very valiantly, sir. They left every man unconscious, with no trace of harm aside from a vigorous headache, but you they tried to kill. »

Rugen glanced upon Viago, but his expression bore no irony ; he apparently genuinely thought the Count valiant.

« … Thank you. Now, if you would send for my assistant, and see to getting my work brought to me.  
_ Of course, sir, right away. »

Viago stood up smiling, and left the room. Once again, Rugen was left alone with his thoughts... And his dinner. He thought he had no appetite, but once he took a bite, he wouldn't stop until the plate was cleaned off, and deplored that noone was here to send for more. He fell back to his pillow and slept some more.


End file.
